Hello,
Originally Posted by justme69
I also know that many operators claim they NEVER WERE NOTIFIED of the recommendation. Plenty of them flying around up until very recently. As you very well say, for over 20 years since it was made.
I know Boeing CLAIMS they notified it to all operators that AT THAT TIME were using MD-80's. I also know that Spanair (and others) didn't exist at that time and started their operations AFTER the recommendation was sent out.
A fax or a telex by Boeing about about a critical operational item was an emergency action ... that required "follow-up".
And the normal way to make sure that everybody, present and future, will be provided with the correct information was to include that recommandation either in the Aircraft Flight Manual (FAA approved) or in the FOM (Boeing advisory stuff). Or to make it a service bulletin (Boeing responsibility) or an AD (FAA responsibility).
AD and AFM revision if it is considered as a modification required for the continuous airworthiness of the aircraft.
SB and FOM if it is considered just as a Boeing recommandation.
If Boeing did not proceed like that, they are at fault for not disseminating a critical information along the standard channels. Then neither the national authorithies, nor the company would be kept accountable for not taking into account a 20 years old sheet of paper that doesn't fit in the standard information package that comes with an aircraft, and that is meant to be updated as often necessary.
By the way, it was reported somewhere that Spannair had recently undergone an audit by Boeing, with honors.
So ?